


Trouble in 2038

by flapper890



Category: Constantine (TV), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: John and Gary's Son, Kid Fic, M/M, Previous John/Desmond, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2019-09-19 12:33:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 20,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17001750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flapper890/pseuds/flapper890
Summary: “I come from 2038. A group of fugitives got misplaced in my time period and have taken over the Time Bureau. Some are dead, some are alive. I need your help."





	1. Uninvited Visitor

**Author's Note:**

> i suck at summaries but i like to think i don't actually suck at writing. enjoy! :)

Considering Dez was in hysterics as he planned this savior mission of his, the plan was going rather well... At least up until this point.

Really, he should have known. Time-Stoning into late 2018 Time Bureau is a terrible, terrible idea that he did not think through. But after wasting so much time driving to Atlanta. Then searching for the bloody rock his dad had stolen 20 years ago. He wanted to get his skates on. Turns out, when an unauthorized visitor appears in the control room they get guns aimed at them.

"Bollocks! Couldn't have put me in a quiet hallway." Dez muttered. "Sorry, my mistake. I'll jus-"

At that moment Ava Sharpe walked in. Dez hadn't seen her in months, she looked so young. "Put the Time-Stone down and put your hands on your head." Ava demanded in a stern voice. He remembered this voice from when she caught him pulling off his first heist. To steal his aunt Sara's comfort biscuits at the young age of four. Dez obeyed. "Who are you?" She asked.

It was at this moment Dez realized he really had no plan at all. But, he couldn't stop now. His father's life depends on Dez doing this right. He decided adopting his dad's 'fake it 'til you make it' attitude would probably be the best idea right now. "Wouldn't want to disrupt the ' _space-time continuum_ ' bull-crap now, would we?" Dez gave Ava his biggest smirk, she huffed.

"Cuff him and take him to my office." As the agents closest to him gathered him up to cuff him. A cheery man strolled in declaring that it was taco time before asking what was going on. Dez's head shot up to a voice he knew so well. "We seem to have an uninvited visitor, Gary." Ava stated before walking towards what Dez is guessing is her office. Dez avoided all eye-contact with the man who had died trying to keep Dez safe not even twelve hours ago for him. He managed to shuffle over to Ava's office without seeing him again. He got shoved into the seat opposite her desk. "Give us the room." Ava Requested. The agents left. "So, again, who are you?"

"Do you seriously think my answer has changed because there are less people in the room?" Dez inquired.

"No, but it's always worth a shot." Ava leant back on her chair and looked Dez up and down, there was a confused look in her eye. "Where did you get the Time-Stone from?"

"My dad's house of wonders." Dez recalls Jasper's old home over the years. At first his dad been completely against the idea of Dez ever stepping foot inside of the place. But, they passed through Atlanta on a family road-trip once and needed a place to stop for the night. Somehow, his father managed to convince his dad to stop there. From the outside the place looked humble and quaint but the inside was never ending. His father always called it the Real Life Tardis and his dad chuckled every time. He remembers picking things up just to have his dad snatch them away. Then tell him a long story about the objects origin and exactly why he should never, ever go near it again. He wishes they lived closer to Atlanta, maybe none of this would have happened.

"Do you know how it got in his ' _house of wonders_ ' then?" Ava pushed, she's intrigued at the mention of a family member.

Dez truly can't remember the true origin of the stone so he says what little facts he knows. "My dad stole it from someone who stole it from someone, and down the list it goes. I have no clue who the original owner is." Ava seems reasonably happy with this knowledge.

"Why are you here?" She asks leaning forward, her forearms pressed against the desk.

"I need help." Dez announced. "From the Legends." Ava's shocked that he spoke of the team she was so sure's kept as under wraps as possible.

"I'm sorry, I don't know who you are talking about." Ava said with as much composure as possible. If some randomer can find out everything about the bureau then what about a genius hacker.

"Yeah, you do. Ray Palmer, Zari Tomaz, Charlie the Shapeshifter, Mick Rory, Sara Lance, John Constantine. The Current Legends." Ava is astonished, unable to say anything at all. "Now can you please portal me there, this is urgent."

"Do you really think throwing around a bunch of names is going to keep you out of a cell?" Ava composes herself.

" _No, but it's always worth a shot, right?_ " Dez regurgitated the sentence she had said earlier. "Look, if you knew what this was for, you would help in a heartbeat. I know you would do anything for me if I told you who I am, but I can't. It could be detrimental to the Timeline. I need the Legends." Ava pressed a button on her desk that Dez guessed alerted nearby agents as two men came in.

"Take this one to a cell." Ava asked them.

Dez jumped up. "All this is doing is wasting time, you don't want to do this. I'm his only hope..." He stopped himself from saying anything else.

"Whose only hope?" Ava pushed. Dez was trying so hard not to crumble and tell her everything, like she had convinced him to do so many times in his past. He couldn't do it, her life depended on him too.

"I can’t tell you." Dez's voice cracked.

"Then, I can't help you. Proceed." She addressed the agents, he was taken to a cell.

Ava sat completely puzzled. "Who is he?" She muttered to herself.

* * *

Dez was not enjoying his imprisonment at all and he'd only been in his cell for 40 minutes at most. Suddenly, a short woman with a bob walked in to his room. "Mona!" Maybe he could convince her to get in contact with the Legends.

"How do you know my name?" She asked, dumbfounded.

"Because, I'm from the future." Dez was doing his best impression of his father. He knew they bonded over their weird and wonderful personalities.

"Do I know you in the future?" Mona questioned.

"Yeah, I've known you for as long as I can remember." Dez vaguely remembers her playing with him when he was around 3 years in this very building.

"What year are you from?"

"2038." Exactly 20 years in the future.

"What's it like?" Dez doesn't know what to say. It's getting worse, the government are trying to ban religion, which screws half of his family.

"It could be worse, I guess. Actually, would you be able to do me a favor? I need to see the Legends. Do you have any way of contacting them?" Dez is not sure if Mona has met the Legends yet but hopefully she has some form of communication with them.

"Dr Palmer should be coming round to give me a letter in about 10 minutes, I could pass on a message." Well that was easy, Nora must still be here. That could be a problem moving forward but he'll have to jump that hurdle when he gets there.

"Actually could you bring him to visit?"

"I'm not sure if I can do that. I mean no, I definitely cannot do that. Director Sharpe would fire me. I like this job."

"Please, Mona." Dez pulled his best puppy dog face.

* * *

“So, who wants to see me?” Ray asks.

“He hasn’t told anyone his name yet, he Time-Stoned into the control room, got sent here, then asked me to get in touch with you. Director Sharpe is not to know you’ve visited by the way.” Mona said opening the cell door. Ray locked eyes with Dez, he recognized the boy but couldn't quite place where from. “I’ll leave you two to it.” Mona left the room.

“Thank god, I thought you’d never come.” Dez sighed in relief.

“And why am I here, exactly?” Ray quizzed.

“Whatever I say, the Time Bureau can’t know, only the Legends. You can’t tell anyone in this building.”

Ray agreed.

“I come from 2038. A group of fugitives got misplaced in my time period and have taken over the Time Bureau. Some are dead, some are alive. I need your help."


	2. Whose kid are you?

“How do you know all this?” Ray asked. “And why should I believe you?”

“I was there, visiting someone. I managed to escape by creating a diversion with magic but I’m pretty sure I was the only one to get out. I’m not exactly an expert.” Dez recalls his rather pathetic escape, his dad was not keen on teaching him much magic. Only defense and distraction, nothing to piss anyone off enough to kill him.

“You didn’t answer my other question.” Ray was convinced something was wrong but he didn’t know if he could trust Dez.

Dez sighed. “Because I care for members of the Time Bureau and your team. I can’t tell you who I am.” Dez kind of could. It wouldn’t be detrimental for Ray Palmer to know that he’s Desmond Green, son of Gary Green and John Constantine. However, he knows Ray can’t keep a secret like this to save his life.

“I need to talk to my team.” Ray is hesitant about what he says.

“Please do it quickly, I’ve wasted so much time already.” Dez pleaded.

\----------------------

The next time the door opened it was Ava Sharpe. Dez tried to hide his disappointment.

“Got a crush on the assistant creature upkeeper or something?” She asked seeing his face.

“What? Mona? That would be rather strange with the whole 20 year age difference and all that. Have you come for a gossip or an interrogation, Ava.” She tries to keep a straight face when hearing her own name but Dez can see her waver. “Yeah, I know your name too. Now, tell me what I can do to get you on side.”

“You seem to be saying all these names but, I’ve still not got yours.” Ava remains rigid.

“You’ll find out eventually, hence why I can’t tell you.” She will definitely figure it out as he grows up into the man that’s standing in front of her currently.

“I am confused with you. Are you playing friend or foe? Your cockiness blurs the lines and is simply nauseating.” It’s times like these that Dez remembers why Ava is such a good fit for the job. She does not give up on anything no matter how important or unimportant it is. She also has an excellent right kick.

“I’m a friend, a good one, in the future of course.” Ava looks extremely puzzled but before she can say anything her phone rings. “Hmm, you usually keep that phone on ‘do not disturb’. Must be the Mrs.” Ava glares at him before stepping out of the room. Dez hopes to god that Sara’s calling to get him out.

A group of men come in 10 minutes later.

“And who exactly are you lot?” Dez asks confused.

“You're being transferred.” The one on the far left says. Before he can ask ‘where to?’ He’s getting sedated.

* * *

 

Dez wakes up in the lab of the Waverider. “Oh, come on!” He pounds his fist against the forcefield. “One of these again?!” He looks up to see the Legends standing in front of him.

“There’s no way you’ll get through that, trust me.” Charlie smirks.

“Do I have to be in here?” Dez sighs. “It’s not as big as the one in the Time Bureau and _definitely_ not as clean.”

“You were the one who wanted to get on this ship, you can’t complain.” Sara points out. “This is an understandable precaution. We have no clue who you are and Gideon can’t seem to trace you anywhere in the timeline. We’d like to know the full picture before we give you free roam of the place.”

“I can’t tell you all who I am.” The team looks unimpressed “But, I am willing to tell Captain Lance.” Sara furrows her eyebrows but shoos the team out of the room nonetheless.

“We are alone.” Sara states.

“As Ray probably told you, I’m from 2038.”

Sara hums in agreement. “Doesn’t tell me who you are though.”

“Well I’m getting on to that. Gideon does know who I am. So you don’t need to worry about if I’m an excellent hacker that managed to erase all traces of me in the timeline. She simply won’t tell you because I asked her not to.”

“And when exactly did you do that? You were unconscious when you got here and you certainly don’t have the power to command her.” Sara’s more that confused. ‘What is this guy on?’ She thought.

“I’m from the future, remember. And I guess I asked nicely enough.”

“Actually, Rip programmed me to never speak of team member’s future offspring under any circumstances.” Gideon chimed in from above.

“TEAM MEMBER’S OFFSPRING?!” Sara’s eyes bulged. “Whose kid are you?”

“John’s.”


	3. B stands for ‘best’, right?

“You’re telling me that _John_ , has a kid.” Sara asks completely dumbfounded.

“Yes, that is me. Johns kid. My father can’t believe it sometimes either.” Sara raises her eyebrows.

“Two dads?” Dez nods. “So you aren’t the resort of a hookup gone wrong?”

“I entered this world in a very, unique, way. But, definitely not a hookup gone wrong.” His origin story would be for another time. It’s rather complicated and poor Sara has had her shock dosage for the day.

“ **John _‘I was born to walk alone’_ Constantine** has a stable relationship in the future?” Saras eyebrows couldn’t get any higher.

“Yeah, 19th anniversary was a couple of months back.” Sara mouthed the word ‘wow’

“What’s the name then? O’ son of Johnny boy.” Sara smirked.

“Dez, well Desmond but I prefer Dez, it's not as formal.” There’s a flash of recognition in Saras face. “It’s probably not a good idea to call me that in front of my dad though. If I’m right about ‘when’ I am, he only tried to save him a couple of weeks ago.”

“Yeah, I agree the pain’s too fresh. But, you do need a name. We can’t just call you ‘rock kid’ forever.” She chuckles.

“Where did ‘rock kid’ come from?” Dez asked.

“Mick.” Well, that explains it.

“Call me Dean. It starts with D and it rhymes with my last name, hopefully I’ll respond to it better than something like George.”

“I think you’ll need to drop the Constantine too. I don’t think it’s a particularly common last name.” She’s right, Dez has never come across another Constantine in his life but that isn’t his name.

“Actually, I took my father’s name in the end. Constantine was too close to the front of the roll call for school. I hated getting picked on so early for presentations. We wanted to double-barrel my name really. That’s what’s on my birth certificate and my passport. But, Constantine-Green is quite the mouthful and Green-Constantine really is not much better. So, Desmond Green, I am.” Dez was hoping this would be the last shock of the day for Sara. If her eyebrows raised any higher they would fall off.

“Green, as in _Gary_ Green?” He nodded. “Damn, I owe Ava $20.” Dez laughed.

“Can you let me out of here now?” He asked. Sara obliged.

Sara called the team to the bridge as she and Dez left the lab.

* * *

 

“This is Dean, everybody. We can trust him.” Sara said gesturing to the boy in his late teens.

“Are we completely sure, Gideon couldn’t find him in an-” Zari was cut-off by the ship shaking. A timequake.

“The timeline must be solidifying.” Dez walked over to the console. “Gideon, are there any reports of the Time Bureau 2038.” The team were surprised with how well he knew his way around the console.

“There are no public reports of the Time Bureau in 2038. However, I managed to intercept a distress call from Agent McNeil.” Gideon replied. Sara told her to play it.

 **“...This is Agent McNeil, the Bureau is incapacitated. 24 are dead, an additional 32 are badly injured…” _“Who’s speaking?”_** a woman in the distance yells. **“Help, please…”** The line cuts off. Everyone lets out a heavy breath.

“This distress call must of been after I left, I don’t remember this.” Dez muttered.

“How did you get away?” Charlie asked.

“I managed to distract two of the fugitives by putting a sleep spell on one of them. It didn’t work as well as I hoped it would but, I managed to get out.” Dez sighed. “I hoped a few would follow but the spell was weaker than expected. They are too powerful for me.”

“Don't the Time Pigs have tons of offices? Can’t they just fix themselves.” Mick huffed.

“I passed an office in Georgia, the security system seemed to be going nuts. I didn’t go inside. This isn't a random attack, it’s a result of an uprising. Gideon, show the murders leading up to the takeover.”

Gideon pulled up photos of the crime scenes. All containing a symbol written on a wall or the ground.

“What does that symbol mean?” Sara looked in Johns direction.

“I’ve never seen it before.” He supplied.

“No one has. All I know is that it represents an underground organization, the one that’s got the Bureau. I saw a guy paint the symbol in one of the hallways.” Dez replied.

“Gideon, how much time do we have until time solidifies?” Sara asks.

“20 hours.”

“Right then team, Mick and Ray, you are coming with me to investigate this “organization”. John, Dean and Charlie, you are on figuring out what these fugitives are and how to stop them. Zari, you are in charge of the ship. Gideon, plot a course for Washington D.C 2037.”

“Well, Dean. Welcome to the B-Team!” Zari exclaimed.

“B stands for _‘best’_ , right?” Dez smirked.

“I think we have found ourselves a motto.” Charlie high-fived him.


	4. The scrap paper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> abbah / written - אבא = father in hebrew

_“EVERYBODY, STAND STILL!” A big man yelled as he and a group of people walked in the room, guns in hand. All the agents in the room with a firearm raised their own in retaliation._

_“What the hell, how did they get through security?” Dez said to his father. Gary put an arm over his chest and moved in front of Dez._

_“QUIET!” He took a tub from one of his friends. “WEAPONS, TIME COURIERS, SMART WATCHES, PHONES, THE LOT IN HERE. ANY FUNNY BUSINESS AND YOU’RE DEAD. GET IN LINE.” When no-one moved the guy shot the agent closest to him in the head. “GET. IN. LINE.” Four Agents shot at him but he froze the bullets and they dropped to the ground._

_“This must be the uprising dad’s been trying to track.” Dez whispered. Gary turned his head to shush him._

_Big guy shot all four of them. “NOW, ANYONE ELSE WANT A BULLET IN THEIR BRAIN?”_

_Everyone started forming a line._

**_[9 Deaths Later]_ **

_Gary and Dez were sat on the floor tied to a desk along with a few other agents in a different room to the one they started in. It’s an office, but Dez can’t remember whos. There were two people watching over them from the doorway._

_“No one’s coming for us, are they?” Says a blonde man in his 30’s. “What do they even want from us?”_

_“I don’t know.” Gary replies._

_A woman walks up to the men in the doorway. “She isn't cooperating, we’ve slaughtered 3 in front of her already.” They talked in muffled voices from then on._

_Dez really hopes Sara’s not crawling in the vents somewhere._

**_[14 Deaths Later]_ **

_“It’s so hot in here…” A woman he now knew as Dawn groaned. “I need some water.”_

_“I don’t think we’ll be getting any for awhile.” Dez sighed._

_“We could always ask her for some.” Gary gestured to the now single woman leaning against the doorframe._

_“I’m not bar-staff.” She huffed kicking off the the doorframe. Gary gulped as she walked towards him. Squatting down in front of him, she looks him dead in the eyes. “Don’t address me again, four-eyes.” She laughed at his terrified expression and walked back to the doorframe. But, as she stood back up, a blank scrap of paper fell out of her jacket pocket. Dez covered it with his his foot._

_The two men who were guarding the door before came back and the three delved into a conversation. Dez used his free hand to pick up the piece of paper from underneath his shoe._

_“It’s blank.” Gary whispered._

_“Not for long.” Dez put the scrap of paper on his knee and closed his eyes. **“Five elements of the earth, I respect and invoke thee. From the six directions, converge here. Lift all concealments, reveal thy truth.”** Dez whispered. The scrap of paper started to form a message. “It’s in Hebrew.”_

_“What does it say?” Asks blonde Andrew, way too loudly. The trio guarding the door turn in Dez’s direction. It’s too late to hide the scrap._

_“This is not yours.” The woman snatches the paper away before he had time to read it. “And you shouldn't be able to see what it says either.” She turns to the men. “We’ve got another magic user here.”_

_“It wasn’t him!” Gary piped up as as the woman clenched her fist in Dez’s shirt. “It was me.” He squeaked. “I can’t read Hebrew so I passed it over to him to translate. I’m the magic user.”_

_“Abbah, no.” Dez couldn’t believe this was happening. Did his father have a death wish. “Don’t do this, please.”_

_“I have too.” Gary looked at Dez with as much love and adoration he could convey with his eyes. “I can’t let you take the fall. It was me.” Dez had tears in his eyes as the woman moved closer to his father._

_“It’s a shame really, I found you rather entertaining.” She held her hand up and Gary was suffocating._

_“No! Please don’t kill him, please don’t kill him, please don’t kill him.” Dez repeated it like a mantra. “Abbah, hold on.” Gary couldn't hold on, the agents around them couldn't speak and Dez couldn't stop crying. “Abbah.” The woman walked away, Dez managed to get close enough to cradle his father in his arms. He checked for a pulse, there wasn’t one. “Abbah.” He sobbed as he shut his father's eyes. Dawn rubbed his back as he cried._

* * *

 

“DEAN! WAKE UP!” Dez woke up to the sound of Zari’s voice. He was in the med-bay.  
“What happened?” He asked trying to sit up. Zari stops him.

“You passed out from exhaustion in the library.” She told him.

“I haven’t really had a chance to sleep for a day or two, I’ll just down some coffee and we’ll get back to work.” Dez tried to get up again but Zari stops him once more. “Im fine, ok-” She interrupts him.

“You were also having a nightmare, a pretty bad one. Who’s Abbah?” Zari’s always so easy to confide in, she just gets everything.

“It’s Hebrew for ‘father’. They killed him, it should have been me.” Zari hugged him. Dez hadn’t even realized he’d started to cry again.

“We can save him, I promise.” She reassured him, rubbing his back, just like Dawn.

He suddenly shot up. The scrap paper. “Gideon, did you see the paper in my dream?”

“Yes, I can see everyone's dreams as long as they are on this ship.” She answered. “The translation is a set of coordinates.”

“We need to send those coordinates to Sara & co.”

“On it.”

“What are you talking about?” Zari asked.

“Whilst I was in captive I managed to get hold of a blank piece of paper that belonged to a fugitive. I managed to reveal what was truly on it before they realised there was another magic user in the room. But it got snatched before I could actually read it.”

“But, your subconscious remembered. At this moment an old friend would say ‘astonishing’.” Zari chuckled fondly at the memory.

* * *

 Dez was in gallery to get himself some coffee when his dad walked in.

“So, Dean. Who are you, really?” John shows him a card. The six of diamonds in particular.

The one that should be in his jacket.


	5. You both blindly hoped I wasn’t a demon inside of a baby

Dez froze. This was not good. “You searched my jacket.” He let out the the breath he had been holding in.

“Charlie decided we had no reason to trust you other than Sara’s word. So, we looked for anything that would make you untrustworthy. This really does not give you a good pitch.” Dez had no idea how to get out of this. “Especially considering that you having this means Sara’s word is invalid.”

“I didn’t use it on her. I haven't used it on anyone.” Dez stated. He didn’t even know why he brought the damn thing along with him.

“Where did you find it?” John asked sternly, he was trying to pressure him.

“I didn’t find it, it was given to me.” Dez rattled out.

“By who?”

“I can’t tell you that.” Dez squeaks, he’s never done too well with confrontation he couldn’t predict.

“ _By who?_ ” Dez can’t do it anymore.

“You!” He squeals. John’s eyebrows furrowed together.

“What’s going on in here?” Zari exclaimed as she and Charlie walked into the gallery.

“You interrogated him without me? Unfair.” Charlie huffed.

“Why’s he being interrogated?” Zari asked.

“Charlie found a magic card when looking through his stuff whilst he was with you in the med bay. The card takes the appearance of whatever the holder requires. We think he used it on Sara. Apparently, I gave it to him, but I can't remember that.” John told Zari.

“I’m not even bloody born yet. From the future, remember.” Dez points out.

“Still, even in the future I wouldn’t give it to you. No offence. I find it rather valuable, myself.”

“I’m starting to see why Auntie Ava found you so unbearable at first.” Dez muttered to himself but they all heard.

“ _Auntie Ava?_ ” Charlie questions. “I thought she was a clone with no family?”

“She’s not a blood relative, just a close family friend.” Dez admitted.

“Let’s not get too off-topic. Who are you?” John wasn’t letting this go anytime soon.

“Isn't it part of Time Travel 101 to not go back in time and tell people the future?” Dez stated.

“I agree with Dean. He's obviously been on the Waverider before. Knowing who he actually is could damage the Timeline.” Zari spoke up. John huffed and walked out the room.

“I’ll go and talk to him.” Charlie followed.

“Thanks.” He looked to Zari.

“You’re lucky I figured it out in time. Otherwise, you’d be screwed.” She put her hand on his shoulder.

“You know?” He whispered.

“I found out about you when searching for a loophole to save Desmond. Hence, why I was so hard on John when he went rogue. I think you should tell him, he’s lost right now. Maybe knowing he has a future would be good for him.” Zari spoke in her smooth comforting voice.

“Are you sure it won’t affect the timeline?” Dez asked.

“Gideon?”

“There will be no major changes to the timeline.” Gideon replied.

* * *

He found them in the library. “Could you give us the room?” He asked Charlie.

“Good luck.” She patted his shoulder. He walked over to lean against the desk opposite his dad.

“You gave me the card on my 16th Birthday. You told me to use it wisely, you never gave me a definition of the word ‘wisely’ so I’ve never used it. I guessed a time where it would feel right would come eventually. But, not yet.” John didn't look his way or say anything. Dez continued. “I didn’t need to use it on Sara and even if I did she’s not stupid enough to trust a stupid ID when her A.I. apparently can’t find me. Which is a lie, by the way. Gideon knows who I am, I’d have to be a genius to get away from her all seeing eye. She has protocol, protocol that protects you all from knowing your future and keeps me a secret. But, I told Sara and Zari figured it out so I think it’s only fair for you to know. They shouldn’t have to keep a secret from you for my sake.” At some point whilst he was talking John turned to look at him. “I’m your son.”

Johns face is simply unreadable, the mixture of emotions leading him to say. “What?” Eyebrows crinkled together, eyes wide.

“I’m your son.”

“Yeah I heard you the first time, But…” He pauses. “I don’t know. I should have seen it, you have the card, you had the Time-Stone, you know magic, you even bloody look like me... I just…” John’s pacing.

“Never, ever thought you’d have a kid? Yeah, I know. I didn’t come to ‘be’ in any of the ways you are thinking right now. I technically exist because some witch wanted to curse you. I wasn’t actually born, just turned up on yours and my father's doorstep. You took me to S.T.A.R. labs who were apparently very confused with my existence as I was biologically related to both of you and seemed to be roughly a year old. According to my father, I was too cute to send to hell. So, you both blindly hoped I wasn’t a demon inside of a baby. Luckily, I was not.” Dez chuckled.

“How old are you?” John looked at him with wonder.

“I just turned eighteen about two months ago. Had a knees-up on this ship, actually. All Legends, past and present.” John’s eyes went wide. “I go on more Legends missions than you in later years, no one really lives on here anymore, only when we need to.”

“Thank god, I don't think I could bear this full time for another 20 years.” John rolled his eyes with a smirk.

“Oh, come off it. You love it here really, cruising through time and all that crap.” Dez kicked johns foot.

“Maybe it’s not so bad.” John admitted. “But don’t ever tell them that, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Your secret’s safe with m-EEEE” Another timequake rippled through the Waverider. It was the worst one Dez had ever encountered. Zari called them to the bridge.


	6. התקוממות

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for such a late update, i wish it was because i was writing an awesome chapter but sadly it was just my creativity hitting a brick wall. here's a really pathetically short filler to bide some time. :)

“We’ve been searching aimlessly for hours. I need a beer.” Mick grunts.

“That was before Zari gave us these coordinates, we are almost there.” Sara replies. “Ray, how close are we?” She turns to him.

“Should be right… Here!” Ray looked up from his phone to see that nothing but grass was around them. They were in the middle of a field.

“There’s nothing here.” Mick huffed.

“There has got to be something, look at the floor for any disruptions.” Sara ordered.

“What about that over there?” Ray pointed out something abnormal looking in the distance, the team moved towards it.

“It seems to be some sort of hatch.” Sara said as they approached it.

* * *

 

The hatch lead to a dark and damp tunnel that seemed to be never-ending. After a lot of complaints made by Mick they eventually made it to a doorway. It had the symbol and some foreign writing underneath it that read, התקוממות. Ray took a photo.

“What do you think is behind that door?” Sara asked.

“Let’s find out.” Mick pushed it open.

* * *

John and Dez walked into the bridge where Zari and Charlie were furiously tapping on the console.

“What the bloody hell is going on?” John asked making his way to his respected screen, Dez followed and chose his own.

“Magical aberrations are popping up all over the place.” Charlie stated.

“I highly doubt it’s a coincidence that all the magical creatures come out to play at the same time we are trying to save the Bureau.” Dez guessed.

“What should we do?” Charlie asked.

“I think we should leave it to the Time Bureau, we don’t have time to run around catching fugitives.” Zari suggested.

“I agree, we need to figure out a way to stop this group before it’s too late.” Dez added. Everybody nodded their heads in agreement and they all made their way back to the library.


	7. Leviathan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for another long delay. christmas has been busy, hopefully i'm going to get back into the groove of this fic soon

Sara, Ray and Mick entered the library to find everyone strewn out on a random piece of furniture groaning about what to do, random book in hand. “Well at least we found something useful, I guess.” Sara said making Zari jump and fall off the desk she had claimed as her own.

“Did not hear you all walk in.” Zari stood up trying to compose herself.

“What did you find out?” Dez perked up from his armchair.

“We went to the address you gave us and found a bunker, no one was home luckily so we were able to snoop around. It seemed to be a gathering place. It also had this word on the door to enter.” Ray showed Dez the photo he took of the word התקוממות.

“Hitkomemut.” Dez whispered. “Hebrew, for uprising. I’m actually bloody stupid.”

“What do you mean?” Sara asked.

He turned to John. “Future you always refers to them as the uprising, I just didn’t think they would actually be called that.”

Sara raises her eyebrows, obviously wondering if Dez has told John. Dez nods, she smiles.

“So, future John knows about this group.” Zari asks.

“To a degree.” Dez supplies.

“Is it worth going and asking me a few questions?” John asks.

“I wouldn't think so, no one's been able figure out what's going on, including you. A lot of people that got close ended up dead. You weren't too keen on joining them so you tended to stay away from the uprising and mainly observe from afar.” Dez answers.

“So that’s why all those people were murdered.” Ray said.

“Probably…” Dez trails off.

“I found a few other things in the bunker. Have you ever seen this before?” Ray shows him a picture of a book with a drawing on it, he recognizes it but doesn't know what it is.

“No, but I think I know someone who might.” Dez says.

\---

“So we go in, grab Gary and get out.” Sara states to Zari and Ray.

“You can’t tell him anything of what we are doing and whatever you do don’t let him know I’m running free.” Dez orders.

“Got it, let’s go team.” Ray cheers.

\---

Gary wakes up on the Waverider. “It’s like deja vu.” He muttered to himself. “You kidnapped me, again. This is so last season.” He addressed the team standing in front of him. “At least I’m not tied up, I guess. Or have a gun to my head, that’s scary by the way...” John, Charlie and Zari looked at the team with a mix of shock, horror and appraisal. “...one wrong word and ka…” He was cut off by Sara.

“Gary.” She spoke loudly.

“We need you to take a look at these photos and tell us what you know.” Ray said as the photos he took appeared on the screen in front of them.

Gary stood up to look at them. He paused when he saw the drawing. “Leviathan?”

John kicks the nearest chair. “I should've known that.”

“Who’s Leviathan?” Asks Sara.

“A sea monster.” John and Gary say at the same time. The team looks at them confused. Gary continues. “It’s a creature taking the form of a sea monster in Jewish Belief. This drawing seems to be more alike to Jewish Mythology though. The ‘Combat Myth’ in particular. The battle between the good god and the demon of chaos.”

“I’m going to take a guess and say Leviathan is not the ‘good god’.” Zari spoke.

“Not at all.” John concluded.

“And how does the story end?” Ray asks.  
“Leviathan loses.” Gary replies.

“Well, that sounds promising.” Ray comments, cheerily.

“Still called the ‘demon of chaos’ though.” Charlie reminds.

“So what’s all this about?” Gary asks.

“I think it’s time you go back to work, Gary.” Sara opens up a portal to the Bureau and pats him on the back.

“B-but!...” He stammers.

“Thanks for the help!” Sara pushes him through. “Gideon, tell Dean he can come back through”


	8. Why can’t the weasel just train rock kid?

Everyone was back in the library. All trying to find things to do with Leviathan. All apart from Mick, who was simply sitting his chair drinking.

“What if this is just a dead end?” Charlie asks.

“It was on display, it must mean something.” John says skimming through his 4th ginormous book of the day.

“What if we are looking in the wrong context.” Zari suggests.

“What do you mean?” Sara perked up, sitting up straight.

“What if we are looking for facts when there are none. Gary said the drawing resembled something more alike to mythology. Maybe we should lean that way too.” Zari theorized.

“That sounds believable.” Dez agreed.

“Still, one of theses books should contain the way God beat Leviathan even if it is just a myth.” John disputed.

“But what if the timeline changed,” Dez said. “Maybe the book held exactly what happened but the uprising turned into a baseless myth instead of a well known legend.” John cocked his head, thinking.

“That could explain it…” He said slowly.

* * *

 

“I’m starting to think there’s just no ‘paint by numbers tutorial’ for this problem.” Sara spoke. She looked at Dez “What kind of magic did you see them use?” She asked.

“Dark magic mainly, a few were fugitives, a few were magic users and a few didn't seem to wield any magic at all.” Dez answered.

“Do we have any hope of just going in there without finding out the lore to this group?” Zari asked.

“If I was powerful enough then we could consider it, but I’m not.” Dez admitted.

“What about Nora?” Ray piped up.

“Can she really be trusted? Who's to say she won’t swap sides?” Zari argued.

“I think you might just have to trust her, we are running out of time fast.” Dez sighed.

“Even if Nora can be trusted, I still don’t like the odds of two against however many magic users they have.” Sara admitted.

“Why can’t the weasel just train rock kid?” Mick grunts over his now empty beer bottle.

Sara looked at John who was shaking his head. “No way.”

“Why not?” Ray asked. “It’s the best hope we have.”

“I think I owe it to future me to not teach him what future me has pretty obviously avoided teaching him.” John stormed out of the room.

Dez went to stand up but Sara stopped him. “I’ll go.” She patted him on the back.

* * *

 

She found him in the cargo bay.

He rolled his eyes as she sat next to him on a crate.

“So… What’s it like meeting your future child?” She asked as if it were a normal occurrence.

“He’s great and I don’t understand it.” John huffs.

“It’s actually pretty simple, he just tim-” John cuts her off.

“No I get that. I’m just- I have a son and he doesn't hate me.” John looks down at his hands. “I haven't screwed him up at all, he’s perfectly okay.”

“Why would he hate you in the first place?” Sara watched him fiddle with something in his hands, she couldn't see what it was.

“I don’t know. I hated my dad, I still do, never been able to stop. He wasn’t a nice bloke to say the least. I know I’m not him and that I never will be but... it’s stupid.” John could feel the tears coming to his eyes. “I’ve never really had family, you know? My mum died in childbirth, My sister left as soon as she could and suddenly I was left alone with my father. He was one nasty son of a bitch. He’s given me more nightmares than any demon ever could, and that’s bloody saying something. Point is, I know nothing about family normalcy at all.”

“Well you obviously learn sooner or later. I don’t think any parent knows what they’re doing at first and that’s okay. Your dad mourned your mother and took it out on you. It’s not right and it never will be but grief can turn even the purest people into monsters. But you are not him, John. You won’t make his mistakes because he didn’t ruin you. He damaged you, but he didn’t ruin you. Your son is as happy as he can be right now, all because you believe in him. You do more than fine.” Sara spoke sincerely.

“Now that the pep talks over, I guess you're going to try and convince me to teach him.” John changed the subject, Sara let it slide.

“No, it’s your choice. But, I do want to talk it out with you.” Sara paused. “Zari pulled me aside earlier, told me what happened after he collapsed. He had a nightmare in the med-bay about the takeover. He was stingy about the details so Zari had to put together the dots, but when he cast a revealing spell they caught him and he couldn’t fend them off. I’ll let him tell the rest of the story, but just know that it really doesn't end well. At the end of the day, magic or not, we will need him on the ground. I don’t want him to lose confidence because of what happened in his timeline. Maybe learning a few new tricks could assure him.”

John nodded his head. “It makes sense, but, I don’t want to corrupt him with dark magic. Especially knowing I’ve been avoiding doing so for a good 17 years.” He admitted.

“Then don’t teach him dark magic, teach him light.” She said like it was obvious.

“I don’t think I can. I haven’t been having the best month, you know.” He put his face in his hands.

“I know. But, maybe Dean came to this specific time for a reason. Talk to him, have a go at it and preferably soon because we are running out of time. And I still need to get Nora on-side, then somehow convince Ava to let me borrow _another_ prisoner of hers.” Sara sighed wondering how the hell she’d pull this one off. John chuckled.


	9. it wasn’t the magic that hit me the hardest

The moment Sara walked in to her office Ava knew she wanted something.

“You know how you love and trust me?” Sara perched on her desk.

“Yes.” Ava sighed, she knew she wasn’t going to like what Sara would ask.

“Is there any chance I could borrow Nora?”

“Absolutely not.” Ava looked her dead in the eye.

“Please Aves, you said she wanted to try redeeming herself.” Sara gave her best puppy dog eyes.

“What do you even need her for?” Ava asked.

“An aberration. One that I can’t tell you about.” Sara sighed. “At least not until it’s sorted. After, I promise to tell you everything.”

“You’ve already got one prisoner on the ship.” Ava said.

“He’s not really a prisoner,” Ava interrupted her.

“You let him out?”

“I will explain to you the circumstances as to why he is trusted later. But, he’s probably our best shot at this aberration.”

“Sara, I can’t just rent out prisoners to you. The terms for the boys transfer was to get information out of him as he seemed to be more open to talking with your team.” Ava told her in a serious tone.

“And I have got information from him, and I see why he wouldn’t talk to the Bureau.”

“You do realize you are apart of the Bureau?” Ava says in a deadpan voice.

“Yes, but it’s different.” Sara sighed. “This is really important, Aves. I really need you to trust me.” Sara cupped Ava’s face with her hands.

“I trust you, you know I do. But, there are rules, rules that I can’t break. It would be unprofessional and unfair to others for me to give you leeway.”

“Desmond, his name is Desmond.” Sara said quietly.

“Constantine’s boyfriend?” Ava asked confused, recalling the story Sara briefed everyone on with John’s consent.

“No, his son. From the future.” Sara took her hands away from Ava’s face but Ava caught them with her own before she could withdraw from her completely. “He comes from a really bad aberration timeline 20 years from now. The aberration we are trying to fix.”

“What’s the aberration?” Ava asks.

“I can’t tell you that.” Sara withdrew her hands from Ava’s face but Ava caught them with her own before they could reach Saras sides. “But we are running out of time and I could really do with having another magic user on side.”

“Sara, I’m going to need more than that…”

“They kill Gary, in the aberration timeline. It’s what drove Desmond into coming here. He wants to save his father. No one here can know anything of what I just told you, Aves.”

“Hey, wait so Desmond is _Gary and Constantine’s son_?”

“Crazy, right?” Sara giggled.

“Gary’s dead?” Ava said quietly.

“We can save him. He’s not supposed to die like this.”

“I’ll take you to Nora’s cell.” Ava smiled. “Oh and Lance, you owe me $20.” Sara chuckled.

 

* * *

 

“I understand why.” Dez spoke as soon as John walked in. “ _I’m_ not even sure if I want to know how to do dark magic.”

“And that is why I’m going to teach you light magic instead.” John replied.

 

* * *

 

“Gather round, team _and_ Nora.” Sara called standing at the middle console.

“Where’s John and Dean?” Ray asked.

“They are currently training. But Dean knows all of this and I am hoping he will bring John up to speed. I think it’s suitable for all of us to have the full picture of what we are walking into.” Sara told them.

“John agreed to teach him?” Zari said, eyebrows furrowed.

“It took a bit of convincing, but yes.” Sara replied.

“So what’s going on cap?” Charlie smirked.

“The reason Gideon couldn’t find Dean was not because she couldn't, she’s just prohibited to. Dean is John’s son.” Everyone bar Zari and Nora’s jaw dropped, Mick spat out his beer.

“The weasel has a kid?” He said before huffing and taking another mouthful, for _Mick Rory does not sip his drinks._

“Well, that’s a development. Does John know?” Ray asked.

“Yeah, hence why I’m telling you lot.” Sara explained.

“So what exactly is going on? Ray didn’t really elaborate further than, _‘Do you wanna get out of this cell for a bit? We need your help.’_ And I’m completely lost on all of this and why you need me.” Nora said.

“Dean comes from an aberration timeline 20 years from now, one where a magical uprising overthrows the Time Bureau. We need to make sure that doesn’t happen. We need you to help John and Dean against the other magic users.” Sara tells her.

Nora looks up at Ray who is beside her. “I don’t know if I can do that.”

“You can, Nora. You can use your magic for good. I believe in you.” Ray told her in earnest. They both looked longingly into each others eyes before Zari coughed, interrupting them.

“Maybe you should go to the lab and join John and Dean, give yourself some confidence.” Zari suggested.

“No, actually not yet. It’s a great idea but they need some time to talk about a few things.” Sara interjected. “I imagine they are going to have some hurdles to jump and I think it’s best they get over them before anyone else joins them.”

“So there’s more to the story I’m guessing.” Charlie speaks.

“Yeah, just so it doesn’t surprise you in the field, Dean’s other father is Gary. And he dies in the aberration timeline.” Sara admits. This time even Nora’s jaw dropped.

“It’s really fun being in-the-know.” Zari smirks at Sara who smirks back.

“Gary as in, _nerdy Gary at the Bureau,_ Gary? Gary _and_ John have a kid, _together._ ” Ray says dumbfounded.

“Our John-O’s full of surprises, apparently.” Charlie said. “When did you learn of all this?” She asked Zari.

“I’ve known that John will have a child for a couple of weeks now. But, I didn't realize Dean was said child until the card interrogation.” Zari admitted.

“The what?” Sara asked.

“Don’t worry, all sorted now.” Zari assured.

“Is Nate aware of this mission?” Ray suddenly asked.

“No, no-one from the Time Bureau knows the specifics of the mission. Plus, he probably has Hank problems.” Sara answered.

Ray nodded his head.

“Alright, we have a couple of hours until we need to move out so do something useful, I guess.” Sara sighed before exiting the room along with Zari, Charlie and Mick.

Nora hung back not knowing what to do with herself. Ray still beside her.

“Fancy going out for a walk and getting some fresh air?” He asked her.

“Actually, that would be great.” Nora smiled at him. Ray held out his hand, she took it in her own and tried to hide her blushing cheeks and wider than ever smile.

 

* * *

 

John and Dez had been at this for a good half an hour and nothing was going well. John was going easy and Dez was not able to deflect his dad’s dark magic once.

“This isn't working.” Dez sighed. “This is never going to work. We should just give up.”

“It will, if _Oliver Queen_ can do this, you definitely can. You just need to focus.” John told him.

“Maybe if you go a little harder on me it might trigger something, all you're doing right now is giving me a magical poke. Treat me like a normal student.” Dez suggested. John looked hesitant. “I’ll be fine, I promise. I can take a blow.”

“Fine.” John wasn’t keen on this plan.

John sent a reasonably hard wave Dez’s way. Dez froze before dropping to the ground with a small scream. John rushed towards him and gathered him in his lap.

“ _Dean_? Are you alright, son?” He asked.

“Yeah, it wasn’t the magic that hit me the hardest.” He held his head.

“It was the darkness inside you.” John concluded. “What did you see?”

Dean sat up and moved to sit opposite his dad on the floor. “My father.” Dez breathed out. “They _kill him_ , dad.” Des crumbled, unable to stop himself from sobbing. John moves back next to him and brings Dez into a hug and strokes his hair as his son cries into his shoulder.

John focuses on his own breathing and tells Dez that it’s going to be alright. But John knows that he’s never been the best shoulder to cry on.


	10. this type of thing is not something you can get over too easily

“I’m sorry.” Dez sniffled into John’s shoulder. “It’s all my fault. Oh god, it’s all my fault.” He repeated it like a mantra, the power of his sobs increasing every line.

“Shh.” John hushed him. “I promise, whatever happened, it is not your fault.” John tried his hardest to keep his hands moving in soothing circles.

“It is.” Dez hiccuped. “A piece of paper fell out of her pocket. It was blank so I put a revealing spell on it. Someone spoke too loudly and she stormed over and snatched it out of my hands. When she grabbed me by my shirt. Abbah - my father he-” Dez broke off to delve back into his dad’s shoulder. “I couldn’t stop her, dad.”

John didn’t really know what to do. “It’s okay.” He affirms staring off into the distance. ‘How the hell are we going to work past this?’ He thinks to himself.

Dez can’t stop himself from crying at this point. He hasn't had a proper chance to mourn his father yet, not other than when it actually happened.

“What was he like?” John asked quietly. Dez lifted his head from where it was buried in John’s shoulder.

“A bloody idiot, at times.” Dez chuckled and smiled through his tears. “But, we all love him for it.”

John smiles. “Tell me more.”

And so Dez does. He tells John little stories all about Gary. But he doesn't quite know how to tell John that he is talking about Gary. He knows he’s going to have to imply it at the very least. Dez knows he shouldn't interact with his former self under any circumstance meaning that he can’t get his father to safety himself. Therefore, he will ask his dad to do it and it’s probably best he knows who he is getting to safety. Somehow Dez manages to get to the topic of the bedtime stories his fathers would tell him as a kid and how it turned out that they were actually real adventures his parents went on.

“They were all so insane that even in my infancy I didn’t buy them but turns out my dad’s did go dragon slaying together and sent an evil unicorn to hell for it also to take my fathers nipple along with it.” Dez chuckled and it dawned on John.

“Gary?” John asked quietly. Dez nodded.

“Yeah, hence why I knew that he would know about Leviathan.”

“And then avoided him like the plague when he was on the ship.”

“I wasn’t avoiding him, I just thought it would be best for us all. He saw me getting arrested at the Bureau and I was worried that he’d tell Ava that I was running free. None of us want her on our tail right now.” Dez told him. He could tell that John didn’t fully believe him but was glad he let the topic slide. They both sat in silence for a bit.

John eventually broke the silence. “Dean, you’ve got to understand that Gary’s death is not your fault.”

“You know yourself that this type of thing is not something you can get over too easily.” Dez snaps. After seeing the pain come across his father’s face he apologizes.

“No, you're right.” John says. Another silence looms across them.

“You may not have been able to save him. But, you do honor and carry on his memory.” Dez said quietly. John looked at him and was about to say something until Sara walked in.

“How’s it going?” She asked.

“So far, not too great.” Dez tells her.

“Is it too soon to add Nora to the equation?”

“Give us half an hour?” He asked.

“I’ll tell her and Ray that they can stay out a little longer then.” Sara says before walking out of the room.

“C’mon then, ready for round 2?” Dez smiled.

“Are you sure you are ready to carry on?” John asked.

“I’m gonna have to be, time is running out.” Dez stood up offering a hand to help up his dad. John took it. “Now, hit me with your best shot.” He smirked.

“Remember to think of everything good in your world.” John told him.

 

* * *

 

“You have no idea how good it feels to be outside.” Nora tells Ray as the walk down a footpath close to the ship.

“Is there not an outside recreation area at the Time Bureau?” Ray asks.

“No, I don't think they have space for one.” Nora responds.

“Wow, I’m surprised. Even Gulag’s have an outside area.”

“And what would you know about Gulags?” Nora raised her eyebrows.

“Quite a bit. We weren't there for long but long enough to get in a fight.” Ray chuckled. Nora stopped walking and pulled on Rays arm.

“Are you telling me _Ray Palmer_ has been in a _Gulag?_ How did you get out?”

“A good old fashioned prison break.”

“Wow, you are full of surprises.” They continued walking towards a lake they could see in the distance. They sat on a nearby bench when they got there.

“It's really weird seeing the future.” Ray spoke breaking the comfortable silence. “I wonder how many of us also have time-traveling children.”

“I’m willing to bet yours is. You’d never be able to resist from talking about your adventures.” Nora laughed.

“Do you think we have a future?” Ray asked.

“I don't know.” Nora said. “But, I’d like us too.” She added quietly.

Ray smiled.

 

* * *

 

“I call for a toilet break!” Dez put his hands up.

“Go on then, you’re doing well.” John told him. “I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks, dad.” He walked out and stopped by the library on the way.

He looked for a pen and some paper, he needed to tell 2 days younger, non aberration him to join his dad of 2018/19 on the Waverider by going back to the exact time that he did and following a similar path to what he did.

His dad needed him right now.


	11. It would be an absolute mess

_**2 hours until time solidifies** _

Dez’s heart was racing, they only had one more hour of preparation. That, and both his dad and Nora were currently both sending extreme hits of dark magic his way. He was using every last piece of energy fighting them off. His eyes shone yellow, he succeeded.

“You’ve done it!” John exclaimed, walking over to pat him on the back.

“I did.” Dez breathed heavily. “I bloody did it.” He smiled.

Suddenly Sara’s voice came through the speakers. “Everyone to the bridge please. And no stop offs the kitchen. Yes I am speaking to you Mick and Zari.” Mick was nowhere near Dez but he can still somehow hear the man grunt.

The magic trio left for the bridge.

 

* * *

 

Ava was sat at her desk trying not to worry about whatever Sara is currently up to when Nate walked in. Immediately sensing that something was wrong, he jokingly asked “Who died.” Ava looked up at him eyes wide. “Bad choice of words?” He cringed.

“Something like that.” She sighed.

“What’s up then?”

“Sara.”

“You two haven't like broken up have you?” He asked, worried.

“No, god no. It’s just Sara doing Sara stuff and not telling me the full story.” She was quick to defuse the idea of them breaking up.

“I’m sure she has good reason, Ava.” He told her. “Has she said if she will tell you the rest of the story?”

“Yeah, when it’s done.” Ava admitted.

“I’m sure there’s not too much longer to wait then. Here are the files you asked for.” He put them on her desk.

“Thanks, Nate.” She smiled at him.

 

* * *

 

“We can’t really make a move inside of the Bureau until I am tied up in an office. Then only the uprising are armed. But, that means that at least 9 would be dead before we got there.” Dez told the team.

“What if we went in before the uprising?” Ray asked the obvious question.

“We’d all get put in a cell, no doubt. There would be two of me, and you lot will look younger than what you look like now. When they figure out what time you’re from they’ll look at Nora and categorize her as a prisoner, me as Charlie and then just think we picked up Amaya on the way and made her adopt Charlie’s style to try and convince them that I’m not Charlie. It would be an absolute mess.” Dez replied.

“I guess we have no choice but to go in afterwards then.” Sara sighed. “Is the building the same as the current?” She looked to Dez.

“Yeah, just a few changes to the interior but same floor prints.” He told her.

“Okay, so we know that it’s not guarded from the outside. And, that there are barely any in the hallways meaning that we can just enter casually. From then on, we’re going to have to improvise as there are too many unknown variables. So be ready for anything. No one go off on their own, stay with John, Nora or Dean just incase you get whammied. Right, let’s do this. Gideon, plot a course to the Time Bureau, 2038.”

“Yes, Captain.” The A.I responded as the engines revved up.

 

* * *

 

You could tell everybody was getting nervous as soon as they landed, Dez especially. He did not want to lose his father all over again.

When they reached the Bureau building it was eerily quiet. They all side eyed each other. It was time.

_**1 hour until time solidifies** _

 

* * *

 

_The first time Dez steps foot in the Bureau, fully aware of his surroundings, he’s really not supposed to be there. When he was younger, he had only visited the building a grand total of 4 times to his vague memory. The building had always been a mystery to him, never knowing what truly went on inside of it. Just that his parents seem to frequent there a lot, for work. At least that’s what they say._

_How did Dez end up here? Is the question you may be asking. Well he wasn’t so sure himself. All he knew that something instinctive inside of him was pulling him towards the building. He just knew that something was wrong._

_“Dad?” The first thing he saw when he entered the building was his dad talking to someone in a suit the same as his father's, his dad was clearly distressed._

_John’s head shot over to where his son stood in the doorway. “Dez? What are you doing here?” He jogged his way over to him._

_“I don’t know, I was walking home from school and then I ended up here. Where are we?” Dez asked._

_“Uh, it’s a long story, mate. Why don’t we go see Auntie Sharpie?” John patted his back._

_“She’d kill you if she heard you call her that.” Dez chuckled as his dad guided him towards an elevator._

_“Yeah, she would. Our little secret, remember.” He whispered the last part._

_“Has abbah come home yet? Just found out I’ve got a chemistry test in three days, I could do with some help.” Dez sighed, his father had not come home last night or the night before. It’s not to uncommon for his dad to go out and not come back for a bit but his father always came home or at least gave notice if he was not. Dez was starting to worry and he could tell his dad was too._

_“No, not yet son. But he’ll be back soon, I promise.” The elevator arrived, they got in._

_Dez looked at his surroundings, there was a logo on the wall of the elevator that he recognized. The surrounding text read ‘Federal Time Bureau’. Dez was even more confused, ‘what the hell does the **‘Federal Time Bureau’** do?’ he thought to himself. Was he is some FBI black-site or something. The elevator arrived at its destination and his dad walked out. Dez followed. After walking down a busy hallway they ended up in an office where they found Ava, whose head was buried in paperwork. John cleared his throat and Ava looked up to greet him when she caught sight of Dez._

_“Um, could I speak to you in private?” She addressed John who nodded. She looked to Dez. “Do you fancy doing the afternoon rounds with Auntie Mona?” She asked._

_“I’m going to take a guess that I don’t really have a choice?” Dez smirked._

_“No, not really. I’ll take you to the stockroom.” She paused and turned to John. “You, wait here.” She ordered._

_“Good luck.” Dez told him as they left._

_John leant on the desk as he waited for Ava to come back._

_“I know you don’t always have the brightest ideas but bringing your **13 year old son** to a **secret government facility** is a pretty stupid one.” Ava said when she strode through the room._

_“It’s a little more complicated than that. I didn’t bring him with me.” John paused. “Can you remember when he broke his arm for the first time? He was only four. Gary and I took him to one of those soft play places on an industrial site in England. After a while of playing with him we left him to his own devices whilst we went and got a drink and sat down, he had made a friend so we just assumed he’d be fine. But, about 10 minutes after we left he tripped over another kid and broke his arm. The friend he made eventually sent for help but he was sat in pain without us for quite awhile. From that day onwards we’ve been bonded. Whenever he’s in distress and within reach I will bolt right to him. And, I’m guessing now that he’s older he will do the exact same for me.”_

_“Never put you down to be a such a paranoid parent.” Ava teased. “But, you’re saying he came here because he sensed that you were in distress?” She asked._

_“Yeah.”_

_“What’s up?” Ava looked at him, concerned._

_“You don’t happen to know where Gary is, do you? It’s just… he hasn’t come home in a few days and I’m starting to worry. He’s even missed his Aunt Stacy’s ‘Spaghetti Sunday’ and he’s always home for that, it’s one of his favorite times of the month.” Ava could tell that John was very worried about this._

_“I’m not over seeing his mission but if he’s missing his checkpoints then I should have been informed. Maybe he got picked up by the Legends? I’ll look into it either way.” Just as Ava finishes her sentence a portal opened up and a screaming Gary with gaping holes in his clothes and dirt covering his entire body came dashing in with a limp in his step._

_“Gary!” John exclaimed catching him in a hug. After a few seconds John pushed him away. “That’s not a good smell, mate.” He told Gary before giving in and hugging him once again. Ava rolled her eyes. Gary sighed in contentment. “What the bloody hell happened to you, love?” He asked._

_“Grodd. I think we need to find another time to put him in, he’s not too happy with his current placement.” He told Ava._

_“I don’t think a time that Grodd wants to live in exists. We’ve tried almost everything.” Ava sighed. “I’ll go and get you some clothes to go home in and send reinforcements for the rest of the team.”_

_“Thanks.” He nodded. “I need to lie down.” He told John after Ava exited._

_“Well this chair is going to have to do, love.” He moved Gary over to the chair opposite Ava’s desk. “I’ll get you some water.” He walked over to the water machine as Gary sprawled out on the chair._

_“How long have I been gone?” Gary asked with a hint of pain in his voice._

_“Around 2 days.” John pulled the other chair closer to Gary’s after giving him a cup of water that was drained in seconds._

_“Is Dez okay? I was supposed to take him to his injections before school.” Gary bolted upright. John put his hand on Gary’s knee._

_“All is fine, love. Calm down. I took him earlier, he’s with Mona now. But, I do think that we’ve got a lot of explaining to do, that is after we get you in a shower though.” John rubbed circles into Gary’s knee._

_“I love you.” Gary said catching John’s hand in his own._

_“And I, you.” John smiled as Gary’s body relaxed once more. After a while of sitting in comfortable silence Ava walked back in with the softball uniform in hand._

_“Back-up has been sent and here are some clothes with no holes.” Ava threw them into Gary’s lap._

_“Time for a shower then, squire.” John stood up and offered a hand to Gary and pulled him off of the chair. Gary groaned when he tried to put pressure on his left foot. John grabbed his hand and draped Gary’s arm over his shoulder. “Just so you know, even though you are injured I refuse to pick up the cat’s crap.” John told him._

_“You will when the overwhelming smell of feces takes over the entire house.” Gary chuckled as they walked or more like hopped in his case out of the room and down towards the shower room._

_Dez was currently holding a clipboard as he stood by Mona’s cart while she delivered something into what he guessed was a cell. Mona hadn’t really been much help as to finding out what this place actually was as he somehow seemed to dodge every question he asked._

_“Alright, that is the last delivery for now.” She said as she walked back out into the hallway. “Hopefully, your dad will be finished with Directo-Ava now.” Sh smiled, taking back ownership of her cart and wheeling it back down the hallway, Dez followed._

_As they made their way back to the stockroom Dez caught sight of his dad helping his father walk back up to where his Auntie Ava’s office was if he remembered correctly. “My father’s back!” He told Mona before running up to his parents. “Abbah!” He exclaimed grabbing his parent’s attention. They turned round to be bombarded by Dez’s hug. “Where have you been?” He asked._

_“Uh, a business trip lasted a lot longer than I expected it to. How was school?” Gary asked changing the subject._

_“Ugh, I have a chemistry test on Thursday.” Dez grunted in distaste. Gary chuckled._

_“We should go home, I need to put my feet up and I have a feeling you’ve got a lot of questions.”_

_“I agree.” His dad says as his father fiddles with his watch. Suddenly a portal opens and on the other side is their apartment._

_“What the?” Dez looks at his parents._

_“We’ll explain when we are sat down.” His dad tells him. They all walk through and the portal closes behind them._

_“That is so cool!” Dez exclaims, John and Gary laugh._


	12. I will be a God

_Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out._

As soon as Dez stepped into the building he felt a strong sense of dread. His hand hovered over the Katana that was attached to his belt.

_Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out._

He could hear people screaming but he wasn’t sure if it was in his head or not.

_Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out._

He stopped in his step. “I don’t know if I can do this.” He told his dad, panicked.

_Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out._

“You can, I believe in you.” John told him putting his hand on his shoulder.

_Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out._

Dez nodded not quite meeting his dad’s eye before walking onwards again.

_Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out._

A scream rippled through the building. Judging by the way everyone picked up their pace, it was real.

_Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out._

Sara halted and gestured for everyone else to do the same.

_Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out._

A man crossed the hallway and walked into another room holding the tub that carried all of the agent’s belongings.

_Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out._

“We need to get that box.” Dez told the team.

_Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out._

“What is it?” Charlie asked.

_Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out._

“Time Couriers, phones, guns and various other tech.” Dez told the team.

_Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out._

“All right then. Mick, take Nora and pocket as many couriers as you can and hide the box afterwards.” Sara ordered.

_Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out._

“Got it, boss.” Mick pushed off the wall and made his way into the room with Nora, closing the door behind them.

_Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out._

The team once again started moving forward.

_Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out._

“In here.” Dez let out a shaky breath as they approached the closed door.

_Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, **breathe out.**_

“3, 2, 1.” Sara kicked the door open, mainly for dramatic effect. The whole room turned to look at them.

“And who exactly are we welcoming to the party here?” The man that Dez had guessed was in charge, asked. The guy was huge with a large scar running down his neck that Dez hadn’t noticed when he came across him the first time.

“We’re the Legends.” Ray told them almost cheerfully.

The man rolled his eyes, aimed his gun and shot a few bullets their way.

“Nope.” John said, freezing the bullets and letting them fall to the ground.

“John Constantine, I almost didn’t recognize you for a second, you look so much younger. And, I see you’ve brought your son along. I could’ve sworn he’s currently knocked out, tied to a desk. Yes, I know exactly who you are, kid. I do my research after all.” The man let out a throaty, sadistic laugh. Dez felt an internal shiver go through his entire body.

“Who are you then?” Sara asked as Mick and Nora arrived with full pockets.

“Me? Right now, I’m nobody, but soon I will be a God. One that you could never stop.” He laughed once more.

“Well good thing you're not a God yet then.” Zari commented, the team took it as a que to charge.

The man rolled his eyes and gestured to his goons to go for it as he slipped to the back to watch.

Everyone delved into action. Zari was winding fugitives against walls, Sara was having a one-on-one with a magic-less woman, Ray was blasting hired mercenaries, Mick was heating things up, Charlie was screaming her battle cry as she extracted her revenge on some fugitives that had tormented her in Mallus’ realm and John, Nora and Desmond were keeping the mages of The Uprising busy.

 

* * *

 

Captured Dez and Gary were both gaining consciousness from the sheer amount of noise coming from the control room.

“What the bloody hell is going on in there?” Dez groaned as he tried to sit up, finding that one of his hands was bound very tightly to a desk leg by a heavy duty zip tie.

“Hopefully, back-up.” Gary held his head with his free hand. Dez surveyed the room he was in. It was an office that he didn’t recognize. There were four other people, three still unconscious and a woman who had woken up around the same time as he and his father.

 

* * *

 

The herd was now thinning, and the boss had decided it was time for him to step back in. Sara, who had just finished with another challenger saw him make is way towards her. She surveyed him with a cocky smile before running at him.

Dez, knowing the man was fond of killing and that he had magic, decided to stake out his and Sara’s fight for when he would eventually resort to using magic against her.

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Zari and Charlie were back to back, covering each other from fugitive attacks.

Charlie pauses when a blonde woman with fair skin takes her turn. “Meghan?” The omega cocks her head. Zari wants to turn round to see what’s going on but she’s got her own problems to deal with currently. “It’s me, Charlie.” Meghan gestures for the fugitives surrounding Zari and Charlie to stop. Zari turns around. Meghan walks up to Charlie and puts her nose into her neck, inhaling deeply which is something Charlie seems to be completely unfazed by, Zari’s eyebrows raise.

“It is you.” Meghan sighs as she withdraws.

“Um, what’s going on?” Zari asked, dumbfounded.

“What are you doing here?” Charlie completely ignores Zari’s question, whose eyes roll in retaliation.

“I could ask the same for you.” Meghan retorts, the rest of the fugitives back off to bombard Ray with attacks. “I’m here to get revenge on them all.”

“The Time Bureau? What did they do to you?” Charlie asked.

“This place is an accessory, not a target.” Meghan tells her. “We want to make them all suffer. Leviathan has plans for our captors, Charlie, join us.” Meghan offers her hand. Zari sighed, ‘of course’ she thought.

 

* * *

 

Sara truly was a badass, Dez was mesmerized by how fluid and natural she made every move look. From a simple hit to an acrobatic mid air kick. The big guy soon realized there was no way he would beat the woman in standard combat so he did a Damien Darhk move. Sara was halted. She couldn’t move and she couldn’t breath. At the point Dez took out his katana and sliced the mans back. He howled in pain letting go of Sara who immediately hit him over the head hard enough to knock him out cold. She shared a high-five with Dez. “Thanks.”

“Had a feeling he’d cheat.” Dez told her.

 

* * *

 

“No.” Charlie told Meghan. “I don’t need revenge on humans and neither do you, Meghan. You are better than this. Mallus’ prison was horrific, especially for you. But, humans didn’t hurt you in there, it was the people inside. Zari could find you a place where no one would hurt you ever again.” Charlie looked over to Zari with a pleading look on her face.

“She could?” Meghan looked at her in wonder.

“If, you give us information.” Zari bargained.

“I’ll do it.” 


	13. so proud of who you’ve grown to be

Meghan took Zari and Charlie into what they know as Ava’s office. “How did you meet these people?” Charlie asked.

“When we were released I tried to lay low, I found an abandoned cabin in the woods and eased myself into society. I managed to go ten years before being found. It was a full moon and you know what that means for me. There were hunters, they had been hearing stories about me being the lone wolf of the area. When they tried to attack, I lost it, I killed them all. It soon became a conspiracy of the town. Local teens would stake out the woods to see the beast and one-day a man saw me turn. They came to find me in my human form, trashed my home and drugged me. I woke up in a cell and that’s when I met Vincent. He was like me, persecuted for being different. We teamed up and escaped, he told me that I could go home with him, that there was a group of people who were just like us. I had nowhere else to go. That’s how I ended up here. I’ve been we’ve these people for a century now.” Meghan told them.

“A century? Why are you throwing them under the bus so fast?” Zari questioned. Why would she turn on them now?

“Well, Charlie and I go way back. I feel like we’ve known eachother forever. And, you’re not the first old friend to question me on this. I came across Vanessa a couple of weeks ago and she judged me, hard. All I want is to be left alone and if you can give me that, well I’d do anything.”

 

* * *

 

“מנהיג (mahn-heeg) is down.” A woman told the two men in the doorway who immediately got up and left with her.

Dez and Gary locked eyes, something was happening.

“Does anyone happen to have anything sharp in their pockets?” Dez asked the group. They all shook their heads in reply.

“You want to escape?” Andrew hissed. “We have nothing. You’ll get us all killed.”

“Their leader is down, it’s now or never.” Dez told him. He tried loosening the zip tie, unsuccessfully. “Why couldn’t they go vintage with ropes.” He muttered to himself.

 

* * *

 

“No!” The woman strode in throwing Sara and Dez to the nearest wall with her magic.

Dez froze. It was the same woman who killed his father. “Bollocks.” He muttered.

“John, Nora!” Ray shouted getting their attention. “Where’s Zari and Charlie?” He said quietly looking around the the room.

John and Nora both turned and directed their fire towards the woman. It wasn’t affecting her.

“What’s happening?” Nora asked looking at her hands in disbelief.

“She’s using Dean as a charger.” John told her.

Mick aimed his heat-gun and pulled the trigger. She lifted her other hand and halted the fire. Ray on the opposite side of the room to Mick shot an atom blast too. She let go of Dez and Sara to save herself.

“Now.” John signaled for Nora to assist him with her own magic. The woman was sent to the floor. Just as she was about to get back up Sara hit the back of her head with her baton. Dez slid down the wall he was held against until he hit the floor. John rushed towards him.

“Dean, are you alright?” He asked.

“We need to get moving, she won’t be down for long.” Dez rushed through his words as he hyperventilated.

John put his hand on Dez’s shoulder. “First, I need you to breath with me.” John told him. Dez slowly leveled his breathing to the same pace of John’s. Everyone else including Zari and Charlie has resumed their battle with the few still standing believers. This was probably the best time to do it.

“Dad, I need you to get ‘past’ me and abbah out of here. I’ll take you to the room, it should be unguarded.” Dez grabbed ahold of John’s arm.

“Okay.” John stood up and offered Dez a hand. Dez took it and yanked himself off the floor. “Where to?”

“This way.” Dez told him, taking the lead. They left the control room and walked down the hallway with a few twists and turns. “This is it.” Dez whispered gesturing to the open doorway. He handed John a knife. “To cut the zip ties, give it to me to get everyone else out.” John nodded, took a deep breath and he walked in.

“John?” “Dad!” Gary and Dez exclaimed at the same time. John rushed to cut them out of the zip ties. Once free Dez bombarded him with a hug. John handed him the knife and gestured to the other people in the room. Dez nodded and cut them out too.

“How did you know?” Gary asked.

John looked to Dez who was cutting the last zip tie.

Gary cleared his throat to get Dez’s attention.

“I’ll uh, get these lot out.” Dez smiled sensing that he should give the two some privacy, he and the other agents crawled out the closest window not wanting to risk being caught in the hallway.

John and Gary stood in silence. “So…” Gary trailed off. John sighed and engulfed him in his arms. Gary reciprocated the hug and rubbed John’s back in soothing circles. John eventually stepped away.

“Dean.” He called for the ‘current?’ Dez to come in, missing Gary’s look of confusion.

Dez immediately engulfed his father in a hug. “Abbah.” He sighed.

“I’m getting a lot of hugs.” Gary chuckled.

“That’s because you died, you twat.” Dez told him, lightly hitting his shoulder as he pulled away. Gary looked at John worried.

“It was an aberration timeline.” John told him.

“Is it over?” Gary asked.

“Almost, only a few left.” Dez answered.

“I should probably get back out there, let you two catch up and all.” John excused himself.

“Good luck.” Dez and Gary told him.

“I can’t believe you went back like 20? years to get the Legends to save the Bureau.” Gary sighed. “Why not by a month or something.”

“Wanted to be sure dad was onboard _and_ 20 years ago was when they were dealing with fugitives so I thought it’d be easier.” Dez said.

“So, I’m guessing he knows who you are? Mostly at least.”

“Yeah, Charlie searched my jacket and found the six of diamonds. After making sure it wouldn’t affect the timeline badly, we had a chat. Actually we’ve had a lot of chats. I uh, need you to give this to me.” Dez handed him the note that he had wrote a few hours ago.

His father looked over it. “When do you think you’ll be back?” He asked.

“A few days, a week at most. I just, I think dad needs someone right now. Plus, don’t pretend that you won’t be even a little salty about being the only person to not meet me.” Dez jokes.

“That’s true.” Gary brings him in for a hug. “I love you, you know. Your dad and I are so proud of who you’ve grown to be, Dez.”

“I love you too, abbah.”

“I’m going to give the other you this letter now. You should probably go check up on your dad and the others.” Gary let go of his only son.

“Yeah, thanks. See you soon?”

“See you soon.”


	14. 99.999999999999%

“It’s over.” Dez sighed in relief when he walked into a room of unconscious/dead bodies with the Legends still standing.

“Sadly, it’s not.” Zari sighed.

Crap.

“What do you mean?” Ray asked.

A woman that Dez recognized as apart of the uprising walked out of Ava’s office. Everyone bar Zari and Charlie greeted her with hostility.

“She’s friendly!” Charlie exclaimed. Zari nodded and the team stood down.

“Meghan here,” Zari gestured to the pale woman. “Says that her friends have taken Ava.”

Sara’s breath caught. “My Ava?” She asked.

“It would be.” Dez told her.

“Where have they taken her?” Ray asked worried as Sara stood still, processing.

“I’m not completely sure. But, I do have some ideas.”

“We better get back onto the Waverider then.” Sara said.

 

* * *

 

As soon as Dez made it onto the Waverider he could feel his legs turn to jelly underneath him.

Ray caught his arm as he was about to collapse onto the hard floor of the cargo bay. “Are you okay, Dean?” He asked as he supported Dez in walking over to a crate to sit on, Nora at his side.

“Yeah, yeah. I just need a glass of water and a good sleep.” He told the team who had stopped in their stride to the bridge. “I haven’t slept more than an hour for a good two or three days.”

“Charlie, why don’t you show Meghan to the uh, bridge.” Sara looked to the three.

“Sure.” Charlie said, suspicious. They walked away from the rest of the team.

“Is there any chance you could hang on a little longer. If you can’t then it’s okay, but I’m not sold with Meghan. It would be good to have someone who’s up to date on current events.” Sara didn’t know what to do.

“I’m sorry, Sara. I think I’m all out of adrenaline. But, I do agree about Meghan, maybe get my father. I think he knows more about the uprising than me, anyway.” Dez stretched his limbs as he talked.

“Alright. John, you okay getting Gary?” Sara asked.

“Uh, yeah, sure.” John nodded before turning around to head back into the Bureau.

“Before you go, can you show me where I can nap?” Dez stopped him.

“Alright.” John offered his hand to help Dez up from the crates.

“We’ll be on the bridge.” Sara told them before she and the rest of the team walked off in the direction to the bridge. Dez and John made their way to the library.

Once Dez collapsed onto the couch he looked to his dad who had still barely spoken a word.

“You’re awfully quiet.”

John looked up obviously too far in his own head to have heard anything but general noise. “Huh?”

“I said that you’re rather quiet.” Dez reaffirmed.

“Oh, uh, sorry. I just- I don’t know.” John sighed fiddling with something on his signature trench coat.

“Seeing the future is weird, really weird. Even weirder when it’s your own.” Dez said.

“Yeah, well I’m going to go get Gary and then we can sort this out for good. Have a nice nap.” John waved to him as he left. Dez sighed as he huddled himself underneath the blanket.

 

* * *

 

“Gary.” John called as he got closer to the man who was talking with Mona.

Gary turned, an expression that John didn't recognize sitting on his face before it quickly faded. “John, I wasn’t expecting to see you again.”

Mona announced that she would speak to Gary later before walking off.

“Uh, we have a fugitive aboard the waverider claiming that the uprising have taken Ava. Dean has crashed and Sara would like to have someone who can verify what’s being told.” John explained.

Gary looked hesitant. “I think this is more of a Bureau matter than a legends’. Your team cannot go on that mission.”

“You and I both know that they will do it anyway.” John countered.

“Well, we don’t know Ava’s location so meeting this fugitive would be handy But, I mean it when I say none of you are going on that mission.” Gary reaffirmed.

“Good luck pushing that one, squire.” John patted him on the shoulder. “We better get going.”

 

* * *

 

Sara stood at the console head in hands trying to desperately drown out the conversation between Mick and Meghan.

“You don’t look hairy enough to be a werewolf.” He said in his gruff voice.

“We have a human form and a wolf form, no inbetween.” Meghan told him.

“What if I scared you mid-shift, would you get stuck in between then?”

“No, I’d shift to a wolf then attack you.” She looked him dead in the eyes.

Mick nods in respect. John and Gary enter the room.

“Alright, let’s gather ‘round.” Sara announces.

“Have we got a location?” Gary asked.

“I would have thought they would take her to the bunker. But very few people go there, its for the top dogs and all that. You only find out where the place is through invitation.” Meghan tells him.

“That invitation doesn't happen to be coordinates on some paper that you can only reveal with magic.” Zari guesses.

“Yes, actually. How did you know?” Meghan asks.

“Dean had a nightmare about the aberration timeline where he uncovered one. His subconscious remembered it and since Gideon can see our dreams, she was able to recover the information.” Zari explained.

“Gideon, could you send those coordinates to my Time Courier.” Gary addressed the A.I.

“Yes, Agent Green.” She responded and Gary’s watch bleeped.

“You’re not planning on going in alone are you?” John immediately piped up.

“What do you mean?” Sara asked.

“Gideon, do you recommend that the Legends take part in this mission?”

“No, Agent Green. I calculate 99.999999999999% it would end in catastrophe.” Gideon confirms.

“That’s a lot of nine’s.” Zari remarked.

“You still can’t go alone, I’m not telling our son, that I haven’t even got to raise yet, his father has died, again for him.” John told Gary.

“I wasn’t planning on going alone.” Gary looks to John. “I promise.”

“I’m coming with you.” Sara states.

Gary sighs in his head. This is going to be really hard.


	15. I promise we’ll get out of here

“How many times do I have to bloody tell you. As long as they keep injecting Nora and I with whatever that stuff is, we are no use.” John explains for what he thinks is the 36th time since they had been captured.

The place was dimly lit but surprisingly warm. Candles burnt on a set of draws and a fire crackled at the end of the room. No one was watching over them, the room only containing it’s prisoners in steel cages.

Charlie was definitely taking the capture the hardest. She kicked the bars and shouted for hours until Zari could finally calm her down. They now leant against the bars as they sat on the floor, Charlie’s head on Zari’s shoulder, Zari’s hand running through Charlie’s hair.

“It’s okay, I promise we’ll get out of here.” Zari whispered, lightly kissing Charlie’s head as the other woman stared off into nowhere, losing hope by the second. “We’ll go home and Jack will be pissed at us for leaving him to juggle Olivia drama on his own.” Both Zari and Charlie let out a light chuckle at the thought of their foster son trying to handle his younger sisters ‘13 year old problems’.

“Olivia will just ask ‘what’s for dinner?’ I swear all she thinks about is food, you truly have corrupted her.” Charlie smiled, letting her hand rest on Zari’s thigh.

“I’ve been thinking lately.” Zari covered Charlie’s hand with her own. “They’ve both been with us for so long and no-one has come forward wanting to adopt them. So I was wondering, how do you feel about us adopting them?”

“It makes sense, I love those kids. And, now is probably the time to tell you that Jack is terrified of overstaying his welcome with us. He’s been saving up money to rent an apartment when he turns 18. I’ve told him that he can stay with us until he turns 34 if he wants to but he’s convinced that we want him out as soon as he ages out of the system. If we adopt him, it would hopefully reassure him that he’s always got a home with us.” Charlie told her.

Zari held up her and Charlie’s hands, finger’s interlaced. “I can’t wait to tell them!” She whispered excitedly. Charlie smiled at her partner’s glee and rested their foreheads against one another.

“You, Zari Adrianna Tomaz, are adorable.” Charlie caressed Zari’s cheek before leaning in to close the gap between their lips.

Wally jokingly wolf whistled from the cage next to them, John and Nora’s hands went straight to their heads.

“Can we not make loud noises.” Nora demanded wiping away the sweat beads on her forehead.

Ray maneuvered himself to take an estimate at Nora’s temperature. “She’s burning up again.” He told the other’s as Nora’s head settled in his lap, she was staring to graze in and out of consciousness. “How’s John doing?” He asked.

“I’ve been worse.” John coughed.

“He’s bad.” Zed replied to Ray, ignoring John himself.

“Shh, I can hear something.” Nate hushed the group.

Muffled voices were coming through the closed door. Footsteps, getting closer, louder. The sound of a key being inserted into the door, then a click. The door opened. Two men walked through, dragging an unconscious woman.

“Ava?” Sara spoke. The men opened up Sara’s cage to dispense Ava into. Sara didn't even try to escape, she just bolted to where they dropped her wife, checking her pulse and cradling her head. No one spoke. The men exited the room and re-locked the door.

“Is she okay?” Jax asked, breaking the silence.

“I think so, just unconscious.” Sara brushed Ava’s hair out of her face. She started to lightly tap the unconscious woman's cheeks. “Aves?” Ava stirred. “Hey, sleepy head.” Sara greeted her as she opened her eyes.

“The Bureau!” Ava shot up from Sara’s lap.

“What happened?” Sara asked putting her hand on Ava’s shoulder, sensing that something was wrong.

“Sara! You’re alive.” Ava engulfed her with a hug.

“I’m a hard one to put down and I have a tendency to never stay dead for too long..” Sara joked. “But seriously, are you okay.” Sara was concerned.

“Where are we?” Ava asked.

“Underground, but not sure where though.” Ray supplied.

Ava finally looked past Sara to see many legends and ex-legends along with a woman she’d never met before.

“We’ve been looking for you for days now.” Ava told them.

“How long have we been gone?” Ray and Nora’s eldest daughter who had only just woken up from a nap, Hazel asked.

“5 days.”

Everyone started to speak at once, asking about their respected children. The volume deeply agitated John and Nora who both stirred from their positions on the floor, groaning.

“Are they okay?” Ava looked to the two close to unconscious bodies.

“Whatever these people are injecting them with to inhibit their magic, it’s starting to have a negative effect on their bodies.” Ray stated. “It’s only just started today, it might just be a dodgy batch.”

“All the kids are safe, Jack and Olivia are deeply confused as to why they’re in a government safe house and why you aren’t with them.” Ava directed the last bit at Zari and Charlie. “But the others are doing a good job of distracting them. So there’s meta-dampeners too, right.”

“Yep, they also took my totem.” Zari sighed.

“And my gun.” Mick huffed.

“My powers are the only ones we’ve got and sadly they’re not going to get us out of here.” Zed piped up.

“You must be Zed, Gary mentioned that you also haven’t been home for a bit.” Ava remembered Gary rattling on about how Chas hadn’t heard from either of them.

At the mention of his partner’s name John perked up. “Gary, is he alright?” He asked, groaning in pain.

“I’m not sure.” Ava admitted. “The Bureau was incapacitated. A lot of agents were killed before I was knocked out and brought here, I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

“Give Zed your pin.” John told Ava.

“Uh, why?” Ava’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Sara spoke saving John the trouble. “She’s like a magical Cisco.” She explained.

“Ah.” Ava unpinned her Time Bureau pin and handed it to Zed through the bars.

Zed held the pin in her hands and breathed in and out in a meditating fashion.

John sat back up and leant against the bars. “Where are you?” He asked Zed.

_“In a control room? There’s loads of bodies on the floor, wait I see you. You all look different, younger perhaps. Dez is with you and so is a woman that I don’t recognize. You’re leaving.”_

“Follow them.” John told her.

_“You’re going outside, I see Gary he’s talking to Dez. There’s two of him, one with you and one with Gary.”_ Zed screwed her face in confusion. _“The one with Gary is leaving and Gary’s going back in the building with a small woman. You’ve all gone inside a ship.”_ She was back.

“So what does that mean?” Hazel asked.

“That we need to start crossing our fingers because if the Legends of the past come to get me, we and all of time is screwed.” Ava tells her as Sara facepalms.


	16. Sorry, not a chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick life update

As you may have noticed i’ve not been posting chapters recently. I did reply to a comment just over a week ago giving a quick explanation and saying that i expected to be back soon. I sadly have not been able to follow up on that comment due to some recent problems. I’m currently in the midst of a court battle that i expected to be over a few days ago, however that is not the case as the offender has decided to make problems and delay the hearing. As the justice system can move quite slow the next hearing has been set to a date over a month away. In the past few weeks i have been continuously harrassed by the offender leading to a decline in my mental health on top of pre-existing issues. I truly have not felt well enough to give this story dedication that i previously have. I love this story and in this mental state i can’t give it justice and eventual send off it deserves. I am sorry that the issues of my personal life has infected what for you might be a pleasurable reading experience and for me, a creative outlet. I promise not to abandon this story as i have so many plans for it, i even plan to make it a series. Again i’m sorry and i hope to update within the month.


	17. I do not miss this migraine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been writing this chapter on and off for MONTHS now and I'm so glad it's finally out there, it was low key a monster. hope you enjoy :)))

“No way.” Gary told Sara with the sternest tone he could muster.

 

“She’s my _girlfriend_ , Gary. I have to make sure she’s safe.” Sara argues.

 

“I’m sorry, Sara. But, I can’t let you go on this mission under any circumstance, I mean it. I can’t ignore protocol in this case.” Gary apologizes.

 

“What if it were John?” Sara asks. “Reverse the situation, you’re me, John is Ava. What would you do.” It’s a last resort, she knows begging won’t work and Gary’s to set for a compromise. So, she serves a low blow.

 

“I’d feel the exact same way as you do. But, if a friend from the future and my A.I. advised against it, I’d listen.” Mick brushed past him as he went to pick up a sandwich in the parlour.

 

“Wait, Gideon’s advice was about all of us. What if it was just Sara?” Ray asked Gideon.

 

“I calculate a 73% chance of catastrophe.” Gideon informs.

 

“Well that sounds better.” Sara comments.

 

“The answer is still no, I’m afraid.” Gary reaffirms. “I’ll show myself out, feel free to stay until Ava’s back. And thanks for the coordinates.” He went to turn and walk out when Sara commanded Gideon.

 

“Gideon, lock the exit.”

 

“Yes, Captain.” The A.I. responded.

 

“You do realize I have a t-” Gary lifted his arm to touch his Time Courier but found that his wrist was naked.

 

“Boss.” Mick chucked the watch to Sara who attached it to her own wrist.

 

“I really need to be more aware of my surroundings.” Gary muttered to himself. “Sara, I’m telling you, you can’t do this. You’ll screw us all.” He pleaded.

 

Sara went to command the Time Courier before Ray spoke up.

 

“Why don’t we all just talk about this, we can maybe reach an agreement that satisfies everyone.” Ray interrupted.

 

Sara put her arms to her side without saying a word.

 

“Okay, Gary. Why can’t Sara come with you?” Ray asked.

 

“Because, according to Gideon it’s most likely to end in catastrophe.” Gary answered.

 

“How?”

 

“That’s not something I can disclose.” Gary told her. She gave him one of her best stares. “Because, none of you made it home a couple of days ago.” He admitted.

 

“So, we’re dead.” Charlie spoke.

 

“No, at least, we don’t think so. We think you got captured.” Gary told them.

 

“Great.” Mick sarcastically gruffed.

 

“By the same people as Ava.” Ray concluded.

 

“It makes the most sense.” Gary added. “They are probably holding you in the same place, hence why you can’t come. None of us want another time paradox or dinosaurs in Downtown LA.”

 

“That was pretty bad.” Ray admitted. Sara swatted his chest.

 

“So can I have my Courier back?” Gary asked.

 

“I want to be on comms. And, be apart of planning.” Sara kept hold of the device.

 

“That, we can do.” Gary told her.

 

 

* * *

 

 

John leant on the doorway to the library, quietly watching over Dez as he slept. The hallway doors opened.

 

“Is he awake?” Gary asked in a hushed tone, walking towards John.

 

“Uh, no. He’s out like a light.” He replied.

 

“Ah, best not wake him.” Gary leant on the other side of the doorway.

 

“You off then?” John asked shifting to face Gary.

 

“Yeah, in the next 5 minutes.” He looked at his watch.

“Hmm.” John didn't know what to say. He kept his gaze on Gary as if trying to figure out a puzzle.

 

“Thank you.” Gary turned to meet John’s gaze. “For everything that you’ve done for him.” He added.

 

“Well it’s been nice to finally have a family reunion that doesn't end with a punch to the face.” John rolled his eyes.

 

“God, your dad’s the worst.” Gary commented. John chuckled. “I should probably go see the rest of the extraction team now.” He looked to his sleeping son once more.

 

“Be careful.” John told him in sincerity.

 

“I will.” Gary took John’s hand, briefly rubbing circles on the back before dropping it. Their eyes met before John breathed out.

 

“Goodbye.”

 

Gary opened a portal and stepped into it.

 

John turned back to watching Dez.

 

 

* * *

 

 

A large noise erupted in the bunker followed by heavy gunfire. Everyone perked up.

 

“Well, I don’t hear any atom blasts. That’s gotta be a good sign right?” Ray spoke, everyone shushed him.

 

“It’s gotta be the Bureau, there’s not enough footsteps for it to be you.” Ava concluded.

 

“Thank god.” Sara sighed. “I’m too sore from sleeping on the ground to kick my own ass.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Gary, visuals are buffering. What’s going on?” Sara asked concerned about the amount of gunfire.

 

“We’re currently taking cover, they have better weapons than expected.” He shouted over the noise.

 

“Visuals are back!” Sara exclaimed. “Oh, that’s a lot of gun power. Someone needs to get past, if you can get us out, the odds would be much better.”

 

“I haven't got the best position, can you look on the others’ cams to see if there’s an opening or weakness?”

 

Sara switched through the cameras attached to other agents. “Got it, keep low and move to the middle opening. If you can get round that and back into the corner as fast as possible they probably won’t see you.”

 

“Probably?! What if i jump the crates?”

 

“No, you’ll definitely be seen. As long as you’re fast my plan should work. Just stay low.” Sara tells him.

 

Gary looked at the middle opening. No cover. A strangled noise came out his throat before he positioned himself on his stomach. “This better work.” He squeaked awaiting Sara’s signal.

 

“Now!” She called as some of his opponents had to reload their weapons.

 

He winced, bracing for impact as he scrambled to the corner. “I made it.” He sighed in relief.

 

“Great, now there’s a door leading to another sub-level a couple of metres away from you, on the wall your hugging. Once again, stay low until you get there and then get behind that thing for cover as soon as possible. Then me from the future should be down there.”

 

“I’m going to disconnect from comms now. Once we’re out I’ll confirm status but from then on there will be no communication until we get back.” Gary reached to turn off his video feed.

 

“Good luck.” Sara told him.

 

“Bye.” Gary turned his comm off. “Now it’s just me.” He breathed out a shaky breath and crawled his way to the door. For now, he was in a blind spot but as soon as he reached to open the door he’d be a target. “C’mon you can do this.” He said to himself. He took a final breath and reached for the handle, opening the door. He scrambled inside as gunshots pelted against the wood. In his haste of getting inside he forgot there were stairs leading down to the sub level. “Oof. Meant to do that.” He huffed as he hit the floor.

 

“Gary!” Everyone exclaimed.

 

“Are you okay?” Ava asked.

 

“Yeah, just landed a bit funny.” He answered as he got up. “We haven’t got long.” He told them as he scrambled to find the wind totem in the pile of things that were contained the Legends’ stuff. “Got it .” He picked it up and passed it through the bars to Zari. She blew open her and Charlie’s cell and the others’. Gary opened his backpack. “Batons for Sara and Ava, A.T.O.M. Suit for Ray, Swords for Jax, Hazel, Zed and Charlie, sorry they’re small and Mick your heat gun is over there.” He pointed to the pile of belongings. Micks eyes lit up as he picked it up and aimed it at the meta-dampener torching it to kingdom come. Wally thanked him. “Right now that all that’s sorted,” Gary bolted into John and Zed’s cage and sat on the floor opposite Zed where John layed in her lap. “What’s happened to them?” He asked looking at both John and Nora in the cage next door. Zed moved John from her lap to Gary’s. He ran his hand through his partner’s hair.

 

“They’ve been grazing in and out of consciousness all day.” Ray spoke as he tried waking Nora up again. “They’ve been injecting them with some kind of magic inhibitor. They’ve only just started reacting this bad to it today, before it was just discomfort. We’ve been trying to keep them awake, but you blink and their out.”

 

“We need to get going, our agents are going to run out of gun power soon.” Ava said craning her head up the stairs.

 

“Eugh.” Nora sat up holding her head in her hand. “What’s going on?” She said looking around.

 

“We need to go, Mom.” Hazel held out her hand. Nora stood up with the help of her daughter and husband.

 

“John’s unresponsive.” Gary patted John’s face.

 

“Ray, I can feel myself slipping.” Nora announced, bringing the hand that wasn’t clinging to her husband to her head.

 

Zed assisted Gary as he tried to get John up on to his feet. “John?” Gary shook him upright.

 

“Wha?” John mumbled still not in full consciousness.

 

Gary shook him again. “John. You’re too heavy for me to carry.” There was no response. Mick huffed and offered his services, pulling John over his shoulders.

 

“Let’s go.” Mick said. Everyone got into an order, Ray first, Nate second, Zari third, Sara fourth, Mick holding John fifth, Hazel supporting Nora sixth, Ava seventh, Charlie eighth, Zed ninth, Gary tenth, Jax eleventh and Wally Twelfth.

 

“On our way up, time to disconnect.” Gary told the rest of the extraction team.

 

The loud blast coming from the A.T.O.M. Suit signaled the escape.

 

The team scrambled up the stairs, all trying to get out fast enough so that they aren’t forced back into their corner.

 

Mid-way through their escape John awoke with the overwhelming volume of the gun shots, each one piercing through his ears and hitting the migraine over and over making him feel sicker and sicker along to Mick’s unpredictable movements.

 

“Put me down.” John protested.

 

“Not now.” Mick grunted, turning rapidly to singe an oncoming attacker.

 

Everyone moved through the rebellion in fluidity that almost felt rehearsed. Sara and Ava back to back, Nate and Ray both covering Hazel and Nora, Zari winding people into Charlie’s fist, a well oiled, majestic performance.

 

Wally sped around the room tying up loose ends and the fight was over, the Legends had been extracted.

 

Mick, John, Hazel and Nora were the first out of the bunker.

 

“Can you put me down now?” John asked, impatiently.

 

Mick answered by dropping the warlock to the ground.

 

“Ow.” John mumbled before throwing up in some of the taller grass.

 

“Oh, me too.” Nora went for the bush next to her. Hazel held back her hair.

 

The rest of the group made it to the sunlight.

 

“We need to get these two to Gideon ASAP.” Sara told Ava.

 

“I agree.” She said before walking over to the agents apart of the extraction team.

 

“Where’s John?” Gary asked.

 

“Down here, love.” John said from where he was slumped in a more shaded spot. Gary rushed over.

 

“Is Dez alright?” John held his head in one hand and reached for Gary’s own with the other.

 

“He’s doing fine, I’ll catch you up with it all later. How are you feeling?” Gary cradled John’s face with one hand.

 

“Complete and utter crap.”

 

A portal to the Waverider was opened by an agent.

 

“Alright, let’s get you up and onto the ship so Gideon can take a look at you.” Gary stood and offered his hand to his partner, John took it and they made their way through the portal to the med bay where Nora was also getting hooked in by Ray. After they were both successfully attached to Gideon Ray asked for a diagnosis.

 

“The drug Mrs Darhk-Palmer and Mr Constantine have been given appears to have caused them to be severely dehydrated. A full recovery is to be a expected.” Gideon told them. Gary and Ray both sighed in relief.

 

“Can you inform Hazel and the rest of the team.” Ray asked the A.I.  


“Yes, Dr Palmer.”

 

“Oh,” Johns eyes widened. “I do not miss this migraine.”

 

“What mig- Oh.” Ray’s hand went to his head. Nora groaned almost instantly afterwards.

 

“What’s going on.” Gary asked, worried.

 

“What did we do?” John looked to Ray.

 

“I don- Wait, Dez.” Ray searched his mind for answers.

 

“Yep, he did that.” John reached for Gary’s hand.

 

“Ah, that’s what I was going to catch you up on later.” Gary told him. “On the topic, I need to pop to the other Waverider here for about an hour or so, sort out the fall out and all that. Gideon should have you feeling better once I get back. Takeaway tonight?”

 

“You know I’ll never say no to takeaway. Good luck, love.” Gary leaned down to peck John goodbye before opening up the portal.


	18. Have we met before?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for updates being so irregular but shits been going down, the court case I mentioned in the "sorry not a chapter" chapter still hasn't been resolved, hence why it's still up (I will take it down once it or the story is over.) and several other things has happened since and i've been extremely drained. I don't think theres much left of this story to go, just some tie ups and resolutions then it's on to the next era, which will be a short investigative dive (ft. 2038 John, Gary and Dez) into the uprising as their goal or origin story has never been revealed. I cant wait to start taking this 'verse to new levels and narratives I haven't done before.

Gary portaled in to the Parlour where the Legends were waiting for him.

 

They all looked at him in anticipation.

 

“Mission successful, everyone is fine.” He told them. They all sighed in relief.

 

“And the timeline’s all good?” Sara asked.

 

“No dinosaurs in LA today.” Gary smirked. 

 

The sound of the doors to the bridge opening interrupted what Sara was going to say next.

 

“Feeling better, sleepyhead?” Gary ruffled his sons hair.

 

Dez tried to dodge him but was unsuccessful. “I missed everything, didn’t I?” He rubbed his eyes.

 

“Yeah.” Sara told him.

 

“Sorry about that, I think I reached my limit of how many days I can go without sleep.” Dez looked to the floor.

 

“You were exhausted the first time you passed out, it was amazing you lasted as long as you did.” Zari said. “You desperately needed some rest. Plus, even we sat out the final battle.”

 

Dez looked at his father in confusion.

 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. You had only just got back when we were ambushed so I didn’t really have time. The Legends, including your dad and a few others had gone M.I.A whilst you were absent. Turns out, they were in the bunker that you had the coordinates of. So under the guidance of Sara, an extraction team and I got everybody out.” Gary rambled.

 

Dez blinked whilst trying to remember what his father told him. “Ah, that’s why I was getting loads of weird texts about a safe house.” Dez said remembering how his phone blew up two days into his trip. “Everyone’s okay?” He asked.

 

“Nothing major, a few are dehydrated and the rest are just very hungry. They’ll be okay.” Gary told him. “I better get back though, there’s a lot of paperwork to fill out for _all_ of this.” He gestured around the room with his hands.

 

“You know how I would _love_ to help. But unfortunately, I’m _ever so_ busy.” Dez said as he started tiptoeing into the parlour.

 

“Oh, really now?” Gary asked sarcastically, used to the charade.

 

“Yes, I was thinking that whilst I’m here I might as well spruce time up and all that, maybe commit a few felonies.” Mick perked up at that sentence. “Vandalising a few landmarks sounds pretty good. Gotta take advantage of not existing yet, haven’t I? Ooo, what about a heist?” Dez asked Mick.

 

“Not happening.” Sara and John butted in before Mick could reply.

 

He sat back and grunted.

 

“You will have to do paperwork one day.” Gary told him.

 

“Nope.” Dez smiled back. “Never gonna happen.”

 

“So, you’re planning on staying for a little bit then?” Sara spoke up.

 

“Yeah, if you’ll let me, that is?” Dez asked.

 

Sara looked to John and the rest for confirmation who all nodded, well except for Mick who made a noise of mild approval. “As long as that’s alright with Gary.” She looked to him.

 

“Stay out of trouble, try not to antagonise people and if you don’t pitch my invite to the post-mission pizza party, you’re grounded until your 21.” Gary smiled. 

 

“Deal.” Dez walked back over to his father and engulfed him in a hug. “Dad’ll be alright, yeah?” He asked in a quiet tone.

 

“He’ll be fine, just needs a bit of hydration.” Gary whispered back to him.

 

“I’ll see you next week.” Dez said drawing back.

 

“See you next week.” Gary repeated back to him. He went to portal out when Sara called out his name.

 

“I just wanted to say thanks for letting me in on the extraction. I know it was risky so thanks for taking the chance. I owe you one.” Sara told him.

 

“I think we’re even, after everything that's happened.” Gary replied thinking over what could have happened if no-one believed Dez. 

 

Sara nodded at Gary who replied in a similar fashion before walking through the portal to the other waverider.

 

“Well, it’s been a long couple of days and I could really do with a nap before I can even think about celebrating.” Sara addresses the team.

 

“Hallelujah.” Zari lifts up her arm tiredly.

 

Sara turns to Dez. “You’re probably not tired anymore so feel free to do what you want.” She turns back to the rest. “I’ll just fly us back to the temporal zone and then we’re free to pass out.”

 

“Could I take the jumpship to the Bureau? I wouldn’t mind getting my stuff back.” Dez asks.

 

“I’ll fill Ava in so she knows you're coming.” Sara told him.

 

“Good idea.” He replied.

 

“Alright, let's get going.” Sara announced.

 

* * *

 

As Dez walked around the Bureau he silently prayed that he wouldn't be met with guns pointed at him, instead a different problem arose.

 

_Bump._ Dez stopped at the collision.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry, I wasn't paying attention. I’ve got a meeting that was not scheduled for me to do but Nate’s busy and he said I could do it but I don’t think I can and all that’s going around in my head is ways I can fail and I didn’t see you… I talk a lot when I’m nervous. You look really familiar, have we met before?” The man rambled.

 

Ofcourse, out of everyone in this building he bumps into his father.

 

“I do?” Dez said cautiously. It really wouldn’t be too hard to come to the conclusion that he is either of his parents son, he has a lot of physical likeness to both of them, the tech he was carrying when he arrived was confirmed to be from the future, he’s a magic user and whilst the Time Bureau don’t know about his love for Dungeons and Dragons, it really wouldn’t take too long to extract that information.

 

“Yeah, I just can’t think of where.” He looked at his courier. “I better get going, sorry for bumping into you.”

 

“Don’t worry, my head was also in the clouds. And I’m sure you’ll do great in your meeting, at least you don’t have to worry about awkward pauses.” Dez told him, Gary smiled and walked off to his meeting with a little more confidence.

 

“One problem at a time Dez, one problem at a time.” He muttered to himself. He set back off for Ava’s office.

 

* * *

 

Dez had never been fond of waiting, it made him as restless as a child on Christmas Eve, it also didn’t help that the chair he was sitting in was rather uncomfortable.

 

As he tapped his foot in boredom he finally saw movement in Ava’s office. She walked out to where he was sitting.

 

“Sara said you’d be here.” She told him. He stood up and she opened the door for him to enter.

 

He walked in and sat down on the armchair in front of her desk. “So…” He said as she walked over to her desk chair.

 

“Now that I’ve seen you again I really don’t know how I didn’t guess it, you’re the spitting image of them both.Then again, it’s also scientifically impossible.” She said to break some of the awkwardness.

 

“Yeah, I get that a lot.” He laughed lightly. “I’m guessing Sara told you the story.”

 

“Some, not all. But after a lot of digging I did manage to find your file. The majority was highly encrypted but the basics were accessible after going through 18 security checks. Interesting origin story.”

 

“Oddly fitting though?” Dez tilted his head.

 

“Absolutely.” Ava agreed. “So… About this mission?” She asked with her pen in her hand.

 

“It was in 2038.” Dez told Ava the story as she wrote down key points that would need to be documented. 

 

“Thanks for cooperating, this time.” Ava closed her notebook.

 

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I would have the first time, it’s just, I didn’t want to risk things going south.” Dez played with his fingers.

 

“Well, in the end everything seemed to work out okay so, all is forgiven.” Ava crossed her legs. “Are you planning on telling Gary you’re here?” She asked, assessing his reactions.

 

“I will, I just don’t know how. It’s kinda weird to just walk up to him and say, ‘Hey, I’m your son from the future.’ And that’s before the topic of why I’m here arises.” He sighed.

“I’m sure you’ll find a way.” Ava reassures him.

 

Dez thinks he might just make his dad do it, that would definitely be easier on his part. And it would probably make things less awkward if they get to talk about things. Yeah, that’s what he’ll do.


End file.
